Congress Leader Shares Clipped Video, Claims BJP Spokesperson Criticised PM Modi

In the longer version of the video, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia was questioning those who ridiculed PM Modi.

Fact-Check: This video of BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia is clipped.

(Photo: The Quint)

A video shared by the in-charge of Rajasthan and Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee's Minority Department Mohammad Waseem shows the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The claim: In the six-second-long video, Bhatia can be heard saying, "लोकतंत्र का अपमान तो तब होता है जब नरेंद्र मोदी प्रधानमंत्री बनते हैं".

[Translation: Democracy is insulted when Narendra Modi becomes the prime minister.]

An archive of the post can be found here. 

(Source: Twitter/Screenshot)

(Archives of more such posts can be found here and here.)

The truth: The video is a clipped part of Bhatia's statement on Hindi news channel Aaj Tak's show Halla Bol. In the longer version of the video, Bhatia said, "Democracy is insulted when Narendra Modi becomes the Prime Minister and it is said that 'Chowkidaar chor hai'(The watchman is a thief)...".

What is 'Chowkidar Chor Hai': It is a slogan used by Congress during its election campaign for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi used the term to refer to PM Modi while raising allegations of corruption in the controversial 'Rafale deal'. PM Modi had referred to himself as a "chowkidar" of the nation.

How did we find that out: We noticed that the statement was taken from an Aaj Tak show and went through the channel's YouTube handle to look for the full video.

• Bhatia's statement can be seen from the 7-minute 10 seconds mark in the video.

• Bhatia was responding to Shrinate's comments on insulting Congress chief Kharge and said, "Democracy is insulted when Narendra Modi becomes the Prime Minister, and it is said that 'Chowkidaar chor hai' (The watchman is a thief)."

• Earlier during the debate, Bhatia referred to Kharge as a "remote control" of the Gandhis.

• Responding to the comment, Shrinate said, "We don't issue a press release at 8 pm or give an extension to our chief. Nine thousand chosen delegates have elected him the chief of the party. He has 55 years of legislative experience and comes from a labour-class background, and has grown politically. He has won 10 elections, and been in the positions of the leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha, state and union ministers."

• "He has become the chief of the party by fighting by himself, and if you call him a "remote control," then you are not only insulting the democracy but also insulting those who voted for him for 55 years," she added.

Conclusion: A clipped video is being shared to claim that BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia criticised Modi during a debate.

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